For some, summer baseball is something where out-of-state travel doesn’t happen. But for senior Austin Hinkle it is a regular thing.Hinkle was selected as part of the North Texas Team USA, along with other Central Texas players, to compete in Cary, North Carolina, to represent Texas. He believes he was chosen to participate on the team as a pitcher because he throws hard and has good movement on his pitches.“I first found out when my coach [Keith Jackson] called me and told me he wanted me to join the team,” Hinkle said.While in North Carolina, the team competed against other regions such as Florida and the Great Lakes. Hinkle was happy with his performance but was even more excited to have the opportunity to play on such a prestigious level. On the mound, Hinkle uses his slider as his “go-to” pitch in order to get a batter out.“I feel like my slider is effective because it catches the batters off guard and it has a nice, tight break to it that I can get people to chase,” Hinkle said.
Being able to control the pace of a game is a feeling Hinkle will never let go, whether he wants to work quickly on a batter or relax and slow down a little bit before throwing his next pitch. His favorite part about pitching though is the feeling that he gets after winning a big game.
The experience was a good experience for Hinkle, and to cap it all off he got some looks from college and pro scouts.
Hinkle will be unable to pitch for the Mavs in the 2013 season as arm troubles forced him to stop pitching. However, he hopes to spark an impact in the field and at the plate as the Mavs look to make another big playoff run.
